WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched fresh airstrikes against Iran hours after President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate for the shooting down of a U.S. Army helicopter.

Forces under U.S. Central Command “began launching self-defense strikes against Iran, at 5 pm ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday�...Read more

The National Mall is being transformed for almost daily events in the weeks leading up to the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4, with unprecedented security and a request that those planning to participate in some of the main activities register in advance.

Events kick off Friday evening near the Capitol with a watch party for the U.S. men’...Read more

CHICAGO — Property tax bills will be roughly two months late this year, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Tuesday, confirming the county’s long-running tax debacle will continue to stress homeowners and the public agencies like schools and libraries that rely on the money.

In an attempt to head off further uproar from ...Read more

The Cherry Hill school board made national headlines when it became the first New Jersey school system to require students to take a course on African American history to graduate.

Five years later, the board debated whether the course should be dropped as a requirement in light of budget problems in South Jersey’s largest school system.

And...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the Philadelphia Police Department has been improperly revoking people’s gun permits, officials announced Tuesday — a remarkable development that puts one of the nation’s largest police forces under the scrutiny of federal law enforcement.

In a letter ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — He called himself “the Beast,” and he killed six people in six months.

Several of his victims were retail store workers who gave up cash or goods during robberies, and he decided to shoot them anyway. One of the victims was his mother — he shot her at her office because he wanted the payout from her life insurance policy....Read more

CHICAGO — After failing to secure an indictment in the “Broadview Six” case last October, federal prosecutors tried again a week later but ran into immediate skepticism from some members of the panel, according to transcripts of the proceedings made public Tuesday.

One grand juror repeatedly pressed prosecutors on whether they could keep ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Vice President JD Vance is asking the Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation into Minnesota leaders accused of failing to stop fraud in the state’s social services programs.

A report from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee this week alleged that senior officials in Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General...Read more

LOS ANGELES — California’s slow vote counting process — still underway and causing friction after last week’s primary — may be forced to change before November’s midterm elections, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on whether mail ballots must be received by election day to count.

Whether those changes will speed things up ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The federal government announced it is seeking to strip U.S. citizenship from 17 foreign-born residents accused of serious offenses, among them a Minnesotan charged in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday that the Immigration and Nationality Act allows for naturalized citizenship to...Read more

LIMA, Peru — Peru’s presidential election is so tight that it’ll likely be citizens abroad, rather than those from within the country, who will break the tie.

Leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez is leading the race with 50.06% of the votes, while three-time runner-up Keiko Fujimori has 49.94%. That’s a difference of just over 20,000 ...Read more

People with Alzheimer’s disease who took the common supplement glucosamine were 25% more likely to die within five years than those who didn’t. That’s the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

Glucosamine is a sugar molecule that’s sold over the counter as a remedy for ...Read more

Patients receiving a type of vitamin D lived longer after chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer in a small study run by researchers with the Salk Institute.

Among 36 patients with previously untreated pancreatic cancer that had metastasized or spread, those taking a type of vitamin D called paricalcitol experienced a significant survival boost one...Read more

NORFOLK, Va. — A military judge sentenced Jermiah Copeland on Tuesday to 44 years in federal prison.

Prior to sentencing, the 21-year-old apologized to the family of Angelina Resendiz, saying he will spend the rest of his days thinking about the harm he caused.

“I’m truly sorry for my actions,” Copeland said. “I will spend many years...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 12-foot alligator became evidence in an unusual crime, after closer inspection revealed it had been fatally shot by a poacher, North Carolina wildlife officials say.

The discovery was made April 2 along U.S. 264 in Dare County, and a tip led to video of the killing posted on social media, the N.C. Wildlife Resources ...Read more

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey played hot potato with a question on bills that would limit the scope of a legislative audit, refusing to say whether she supports them or not.

The legislation just passed the House and Senate and it would limit the scope of a legislative audit, ban the courts from adjudicating any future disputes regarding public ...Read more

Nick Reiner, accused of murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, is seeking the money from his inheritance.

The beloved couple’s middle child, 32, filed a petition Monday requesting the trust fund money he claims he has been owed since age 30, which he says is his only source of legal fees or financial support while incarcerated, per ...Read more

DENVER — The errant tornado siren that sounded across Denver during thunderstorms Monday afternoon was caused by “human error,” a spokesperson for the city’s Office of Emergency Management said.

There was no technology failure or malfunction, Loa Esquilín García said in a statement Tuesday. Rather, one or more employees did not ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Scientists feared the Santa Monica Mountains’ last remaining steelhead trout were dead, smothered by debris flows unleashed by the Palisades fire.

But the endangered fish surprised them: A team of biologists recently spotted 30 of the rare trout — and 21 babies — in Topanga Creek.

“There was a lot of happy dancing in ...Read more